Musical instrument



- Oct. 21, 1941.

B. VITALIS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT F11 June 17, 1941 w T w W.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Balthasar Vitalis, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 17, 1941, Serial No. 398,414

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments and has particular reference to a stringed instrument, preferably a violin or a similar instrument played with a bow.

The principal object of this invention is to improve the sound quality of the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the instrument will have greater energy of vibration and, consequently, greater volume and carrying power.

A further object is to produce a device which may be incorporated in the standard form of instrument so that to all intents and purposes the instrument appears as an ordinary instrument of that particular type.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. I is a diagrammatic illustration of the back of a violin having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. II is an enlarged detailed cross sectional view taken on the line II1I of Fig. I; and

Fig. III is an enlarged fragmentary view, showing the use of dissimilar materials for constructing the sound drum.

The ordinary musical instrument, such as a violin consists of a front and a back, the back being made relatively thick, and a sound post extending between the front and back. Of course, the usual bridge and strings are supported upon the front. As a result, when the strings are vibrated by picking or bowing, vibration extends through the bridge to the front, thence through the sound post to the back. As the back is relatively thick, the vibrations from the back are damped to a considerable extent. Consequently, the instrument will only give off a certain volume, depending upon the characteristic of the back.

It is a well-known fact that in constructing musical instruments, such as violins, certain makers, such as Stradivarius, produced an exceptional tone quality into their instruments, and it was believed that this was greatly accomplished by the skilled fashioning of the back of the instrument.

I have devised means whereby the ordinary back may be cut and a tone chamber inserted therein which will greatly amplify the volume of the instrument and will also improve its tone qualities.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the front of the instrument; the numeral 6 the back thereof; and the numeral 1 the sides thereof. The instrument, of course, has the usual neck 8, the strings being secured to the neck and to the front in the usual manner and passing over the customary bridge 9.

My invention consists in inserting in the back 6 a confined air chamber, which embodies in its construction an inside plate H and an outside plate 12, the plates II and [2 being separated so as to provide an air space l3. The chamber may be formed as shown in Figs. I or II, or may be formed in any other manner desired, and inscribed in the back.

The sound post [4 has one end thereof resting on the plate II and has its opposite end resting against the underside of the front. With this construction it will be apparent that when the instrument is played, vibration of the strings will pass from the bridge to the front, thence through the sound post to the plate H, which, being resilient, will vibrate the air Within the space l3 and the plate l2. This augmented vibration of the back will improve the tone and volume of the instrument.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a musical instrument having a front portion, a back portion and a sound post, an opening formed in said back portion, a pair of spaced plates inserted in said opening to form a confined air space, one of said plates being abutted by said sound post.

2. In combination with a musical instrument having a front portion, a back portion, and a sound post, of a confined air chamber carried by said back portion, and comprising a pair of spaced plates, having their outer surfaces substantially flush with the contour of the exposed surfaces of the back portion, one of said plates being engaged by said sound post.

BALTHASAR VITALIS. 

